


Trapped || Disaster AU

by lyrenoir



Category: Miraculous Ladybug, miraculous
Genre: Adrinette, Angst, DJWifi, F/F, F/M, Fanfiction, Fluff, Gen, Julerose - Freeform, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, adrienette - Freeform, disaster au, ladrien, overnight mall au, ruleka
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 01:48:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14345412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lyrenoir/pseuds/lyrenoir
Summary: When natural disaster strikes, some of Marinette's class finds refuge in a partly-closed down mall, with most of the stores abandoned and closed up. Once they find they are trapped, Papillion takes advantage, playing the situation into his own hands - in yet another dreadful attempt to discover who Ladybug and Chat Noir is, and in an attempt to get their Miraculouses, he released Akumas through the vents of the building. Will Ladybug and Chat Noir reveal their identities in order to save their classmates?--(Sorry the overnight-mall is such an overused trope, I just thought it would be really cool to see it with the Miraculous gang because I haven't seen it done yet. This story contains angst/fluff, but it's not mature but minor swearing  - hell, crap - is involved. All the ships, or most at least, are tagged.)





	Trapped || Disaster AU

At first, it was just rain.

Nothing unheard of in Paris.

Marinette fidgeted with her pen as Ms. Bustier talked. Alya sat beside her, attention perked, still as a stone. Occupied with her own thoughts, the raven-haired girl tried to pay attention to her teacher, but her duties as Ladybug were anxiously flowing through her mind. Being a heroine was sure something that took up quite some time - something a fourteen-year old girl didn't exactly have the capacity to juggle along with... a lot of other stuff.

The rain rumbled from outside the window, and a classmate gave a small jump in the back of the classroom. Stopped in the middle of her sentence, Ms. Bustier winced as she saw Rose's tablet fall to the floor. Luckily, the glass hadn't broken, and it laid face-up on the ground. 

Apologetically, the short-haired girl grew flustered, scrambling to pick it up. Her brow was furrowed as she timidly looked up at her teacher, and Juleka glanced at her with sympathy in her gaze.

"S-Sorry!" Squeaked Rose. "The rain just startled me." Shyly, she tensed her shoulders, averting her gaze towards the work on her tablet.

Ms. Bustier shook her head at the girl, a small smile playing on her face. "It's alright. It sure has progressed to a storm." Giggling to herself, she looked out over the class. "Don't expect an early release, though. Education is valuable!"

Soon, everything returned to normal. The teacher resumed her teaching, and the tablet hitting the floor had helped Marinette jump from her anxious haze. Sighing to herself, she forced herself to put her pen down, and forced her attention towards the board. In front of her, Adrien and Nino looked attentively towards the lesson, ignoring the storm outside.

About a half and hour passed, and class was nearly over. Students were becoming more restless and glancing at the clock. As Ms. Bustier finished up her lesson, she used her free hand to brush a strand of red hair out of her face. Making her way to the desk as she explained the assigned homework for the night, the rain pounded outside. Each drop violently hit the ground, and Rose kept glancing nervously towards the window. Just when she thought she had no reason to be anxious, a loud roar of thunder roared from outside.

Marinette winced and gazed at the window, light bursting through the classroom as a strike of lightning slammed the ground. Accompanying the roaring thunder, the storm elements clashed, and everyone's attention was soon outside instead of on the explanation. Ms. Bustier cleared her throat to regain the eyes of the class.

"Now, students, you can proceed to your next class. Take no notice of the storm outside. I'm sure it will clear-"

The red-haired woman was cut off as the classroom lights suddenly flickered. Once, twice, and then they went out completely. Ebony spread through the room as the power was killed, gasps coming from all corners of the room. The students who had already been standing up sat back down again, shocked into their seats. It wouldn't have been so much of a shock if it had been continuous - but it had come on like a disease. In the morning, the sun had been shining, but since afternoon, the storm leaped into action over Paris.

Marinette glanced over at Alya, who's face was lit by the faint light coming in by the window. A worried expression overcame her face, her blue eyes wide. Clutching her bag tightly by her side, she swallowed hard, a determined tone hidden in her voice.

"Do you think it could be an Akuma?" She asked quickly, sounding more concerned then she should have been. Afterall, to anyone but a superhero, an Akuma was becoming an occasional happening around Paris. Nothing Ladybug and Chat Noir couldn't clear up within a matter of hours - some people had even started to lose their fear of them.

Alya shook her head, throwing her book into her bag as she stood up to face her. "I don't think so. Unless it's another weather-related Akuma? Another Stormy Weather?" She suggested, thinking back into all the Akumatizations she had studied in an effort to uncover the true identities of the French superheroes.

"Can an Akuma repeat itself?" Mumbled Marinette, moreso to herself then to her friend. By instinct, her eyes wandered back to the teacher. Ms. Bustier was trying to settle the class, to encourage them to stay put until the generator was activated. Unfortunately for her, only a select few students were listening.

Marinette's stomach began to roll as she heard Chloe's voice shriek from a few seats over. Sabrina's voice could soon be heard trying to comfort her mas- her friend. 

Chloe's voice was high-pitched, as if she'd never experienced a storm in her life before. She had a frown on her face, but didn't cry in fear of ruining her makeup. "Oh my gosh! Paris must be under attack!" The blonde girl wailed, wrapping her arms around herself. Her eyes closed rightly shut, Alya shot her a disgruntled look.

"Not now," muttered Alya under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest. Marinette exasperated looked towards the ceiling, wondering when the school would finally turn the generator on. 

_What's taking so long?_ She thought silently to herself. In the faint light, her eyes wandered to Adrien in front of her, who was chatting with Nino after briefly listening to Ms. Bustier. Sitting down, he smiled at something Nino said and suddenly turned his head.

Marinette felt herself freeze as Adrien glanced at her. They had greeted each other in the hallway when school had began, but the girl had stumbled over her words and ended up getting dragged away by Alya before she really embarrassed herself. Sighing, she had been mad at the time, but looking back she was grateful. She felt a smile spread on her face as she looked at Adrien.

"Kind of weird that the storm came on so fast, huh?" Asked Adrien casually. His tone was normal, as if he was talking to anyone other friend. He awkwardly waited for a response, as Marinette just sat and waved at him for a couple seconds. 

Alya jabbed her in the side to get her talking, her glasses slipping down her face in the process. Sighing to herself, she pushed them back up as she watched the scene fold out in front of her. Marinette began rambling, saying whatever random words came into her mind in an attempt to just say something.

"Oh, uh, hi!" She winced, digging her nails into her palms as she kept talking. "I mean, yeah, the form came on stast. I mean, the storm came on fast! Definitely!" She mumbled, wanting to bury her head into her hands and disappear.

Adrien looked at her with puzzlement in his eyes, but he didn't say anything. He just nodded and turned back to Nino, sparking another conversation with his best friend and concluding his brief conversation with Marinette.

The girl was disappointed in herself, and she slumped down on her desk. Frowning, she opened her mouth to whisper something to Alya, but she suddenly leaped in surprise as she heard the shattering of glass coming from the back of the classroom. Her eyes bright with shock, she whipped around, wondering if Rose had accidentally knocked her tablet off of her desk again.

When she saw the window that showcased the storm, she was greeted by an utterly different sight.

The window was burst open, glass littered all over the ground, glinting in the light. It bounced across the floor, landing at some of the student's feet who jumped to avoid it. Lightning screamed outside, rapidly approaching, flashing right outside the window. One student screamed, but the voice could not be identified in the clambering mob that was the students. People jumped over each other's step in an effort to get out of the classroom.

Ms. Bustier was ushering students out rapidly, trying to keep a calm demeanor as she did so. Her movements were tense, betraying her worry. As if on instinct, Marinette held back her urge to escape as quick as she could and tried to help get as many people out as possible. Before she could argue, Alya grabbed her by the sleeve and dragged her to the door, forcing her out.

"But some people are still inside!" Protested the raven-haired girl, tugging against her. 

"Yeah, like us!" Yelled Alya, not ceasing her grip until they were both in the hallway. In other classrooms, students began bursting out of the doors, as if the same thing had occurred. The crashes of the storm outside began to echo through the school, penetrating the windows like mere screens. 

"The school's going to flood!" Someone yelled from behind Marinette. Not able to look back, she followed Alya and charged down the stairs, nearly stumbling over her steps. Feeling herself lurching forward, her mind whirled as she anticipated the edge of the stair hitting her chin. Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards, stopping her fall.

Marinette went to turn and thank whoever had saved her from her own clumsiness, but someone was already pounding down the stairs alongside her, Alya a few steps ahead. Nino tipped his cap at Marinette as he let go of her arm, gaining speed to match Alya's pace as he threw himself forward.

Out of breath, Marinette promised herself she'd thank him as soon as all the students were out of danger. Just as her foot went off the edge of the last step and she lurched for the door, she realized with a shock that there was one face she hadn't noticed in the frenzy of escaping students. Skidding on her heel, she turned back with a mortified gaze to the stairs.

"Adrien!" She called. The storm screamed from outside, overtaking her voice. Two girls - the last ones in sight - charged down the stairs, racing past Marinette. The taller one shoved her forward, urging her to escape with everyone else. Her purple hair fell in front of her face as she ran, but it didn't seem to deter her.

Next to her, a pale girl glanced briefly at Marinette with extreme worry in her gaze. 

"Marinette, come on! You need to get out!" Warned Rose, Juleka right beside her. As they darted out of the entrance of the school, Marinette shot one more horrified glance towards the empty staircase before following the mob of students to safety. Her first thoughts on her home and nowhere else, she planned to go there as fast as she could.

_Mom and Dad probably have lost power - the bakery must have closed early,_ the girl fretted. The sky quickly growing dark, she wanted to run where there was shelter, so that she would not be struck by lighting. Fearing the consequences of the storm, Marinette tried desperately to find an awning or such to run under.

In the dark, gathering rain, sheets poured down in front of her eyes and down her face, blurring her gaze. Since she had diverted mostly from the group (or rather, was very behind) her Kwami had decided it safe to show herself. Unlatching the purse from the inside, Tikki shot out, unseemingly affected by the weather of the storm. She flew against it with ease, soaring beside her holder's shoulder.

Her eyes were rounded and knowing. "You know the words!" She cheered on. Marinette smiled gratefully at her, glad that she had some sort of connection with her Kwami. Ducking low besides a bench, she uttered the words that she had come to learn so well.

"Tikki, transform me!" She murmured.

Pink light enveloped her body, leaving her mind spinning as she felt newfound energy flow through her veins. Taking a deep breath, she tried to avoid the trees in the park as she knew she'd most likely be struck. Jumping up, she spun her yo-yo rapidly by her side, a determined glint in her gaze. Huffing, she felt herself become annoyed.

_Lightning always strikes the highest point. That means I can't use my yo-yo to launch myself anywhere! I have to run!_ She thought, desperation flooding into her mind. Shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, the young heroine tied her yo-to back to her side before dashing towards the nearest building, ready to check if anyone was stuck inside.

Although her vision was blurred from the torrent falling in front of her eyes and all around her, she could feel the sudden burst of a figure running beside her. Closing her eyes to avoid getting water in them furthermore, she only realized there was someone beside her too late and wasn't able to glance at them. Before she could make a sound, she felt the thing picking her up in their grasp.

Her eyes bursting open, she began to struggle, wondering if the weather really was caused by an Akuma. _Perhaps, it attacked me..._ Thrashing, she cupped her hands over her ears to protect her Miraculous from being stolen. "Put me down!" She protested viciously, her voice sharp. When she opened her eyes fully, she could see that the figure who had lifted her was, in-fact, no Akuma.

"Give me a few seconds, can you?" Asked Chat Noir, feigning politeness. Readjusting his grip so he was holding Ladybug in an upright position, he smirked as he flipped his staff with his free hand. Making sure it wasn't taller then any of the trees around them to avoid getting struck, he stuck the end into the ground and vaulted him and his partner forward.

Ladybug sniffed at him. "Can you give me any warning? I thought you were an Akuma!" She told him exasperatedly. Finally, when they were in the heart of the town due to the leap, Chat Noir released Ladybug. She straightened herself, pointedly frowning at her partner. The rain dripped off of her suit in waves, until she felt like she had a sea rolling off of her.

Chat Noir shrugged. "Sorry, m'lady. But we have to go. I can talk all day tomorrow, though. I'm always free for you," he replied slyly. Pouncing forward, he began running down a street that Ladybug wasn't too familiar with - she had only run a few errands on it before for her parents. 

Ignoring her partner's flirting, she furrowed her brow in confusion as she sprung forward, her lithe frame and extra energy allowing her to run much more a distance then she would have been able to in her civillian form. "Where are we going?" She asked quickly, her voice nearly a yell as she was forced to talk over the violent rumbling of the storm.

Without looking over his shoulder, Chat Noir replied. "That's a good question," yelled back Chat Noir, his green eyes flickering with earnesty. "I heard a few of the students from the local school were too far from home, so they were searching for an open building to hide in!" 

"Everywhere is closed!" Exclaimed Ladybug.

"Well.... let's just say someone told me that they were going somewhere abandoned."

_He knows an awful lot about what the students were saying. Could he be....?_ Shaking her head clear of her thoughts, Ladybug convinced herself that this was certainly not the time to be debating about Chat Noir's identity. Clenching her jaw, she caught up to him, matching his pace. "The only place that's abandoned...."

"The mall!" The superheroes yelled at the same time. Comfortable with the consensus, they both pounded down the street, dodging lighting and trying to dart under awnings. Breathing heavily, they didn't speak a word as they charged down the pavement. Desperate to get to the students and make sure that they were okay, Ladybug and Chat Noir were once again putting themselves in danger to save the citizens of Paris,

Afterall, it was their job. Not that they signed up for it - but still, day after day, they still happily obliged to serve. 

Suddenly, a thought sparked in Ladybug's mind. Swiftly untying her yo-yo, she whirled it and spun it forward, grasping for a post in the distance which was low enough. When she felt that her string had grasped it, she grabbed onto Chat Noir before giving her weapon a tug,

"Hang on tight, Chat," advised Ladybug. 

Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, the superheroes were vaulted towards a lamp-post, the string wrapped around the half-way point in the metal. Retracting it as soon as possible, Ladybug promptly jumped towards the ground, landing promptly. Chat Noir let go too early, and stumbled a bit against the broken pavement. He scoffed at himself, regaining his posture.

Ladybug rolled her eyes at her partner, who was more like a black blur in the storm. 

"I thought cats always landed on their feet?" She teased, grasping for any words of lightheartedness she could muster in order to keep herself sane. Being a mostly positive person, Ladybug found it hard to find any hope in situations that only dragged her down. Blinking hopefully at Chat Noir, she shrugged and looked around. "Where's the mall, anyways?" She questioned, never having been there herself.

Chat Noir chuckled. "That's just a myth. And over there." The leather-clad hero pointed down the crumbling sidewalk, near the corner of a closed-up cafe that used to get bad reviews around the city. "It's not fully abandoned," he tried to explain. "It's closed down, but not all the stores have fully moved out yet. Some of the walls are caving in, but it's a large building, so at least one hallway or the other should be safe."

Ladybug nodded. "Then we have to get them there as soon as possible!" She smiled at her partner, punching his shoulder lightly before leaping forward. "Good thinking, Chaton," she told him.

Looking pleased with himself, Chat smirked and vaulted himself forward with his staff. Lightning sent white shooting through the area, nearly blinding the two superheroes. Looking disgusted with the rain dripping off of his suit, the cat frowned as he skidded on the ground, turning the corner around the locked-up cafe. Ladybug shot in front of him, summoning all the energy she could to reach the students as soon as possible.

Sure enough, from up ahead, she could hear terrified voices calling out for help. Concerned, she pounded forward, pain clawing at her lungs as her need to stop for breath increased.

Chat's eyes narrowed in confusion, but soon widened with horror.

"They're still outside!" He yelled, shocked by the sight. 

Not even bothering to answer, Ladybug forced herself to move as quickly as she could through the rain. Using one hand to shield her eyes from the unmerciful sheets pouring from the sky, she pressed on until the group of students was only a few yards away, yanking and slamming themselves into the locked doors of the mall in an effort to get inside. 

One student in particular tried ramming up against the door, but as with all the other times, it didn't budge. Suddenly they turned their head to glance through the storm, catching the flash of red and black on the edge of the building. Everyone soon followed their gaze.

Alya, who was among the small group, clasped her shaking hands in front of her with newfound hope. "Ladybug!" She called, her despair slowly fading from her gaze. The girl's glasses had been dripping with rain and prevented her from seeing, so she had clasped them to the collar of her shirt hastily. Scrambling forward to confront the superheroes, they nearly fell to the ground.

Before the girl could say a word, Chat Noir leaped ahead to stand shoulder to shoulder with his partner. There was a hard look in his eye.

"How long have you been standing out here?" Questioned Chat, holding his staff protectively by his side unless anything came up. Ladybug simply nodded, as anxious for a response as he was - impatient to get everyone inside.

"Only a few minutes. We got here as soon as we could, because our teacher was telling us to leave and go home.... but some of us live kind of far," explained Alya, fidgeting with her glasses as she spoke. She looked concerned as she glanced back to the cowering group of students that consisted of Nino, Juleka, Rose, and Chloe (who looked disgusted by the entire situation, even more then Chat Noir). Alya swallowed hard. "So we just thought of the best building to shelter in, but this place is nearly abandoned and locked up. So we can't get in."

"We don't know where else to go!" Chimed in Rose, fearfully pressed up against the wall near the door, trying to shelter herself under the thin awning. Her short blonde hair dripped, clinging to her face unnaturally.

At the mention of the students not being able to get in, Chat Noir walked forward quickly, leaving Ladybug to finish speaking to Alya. Similar to Rose, Ladybug's hair was messily falling out of it's ribbons, sticking in wet strands to her face. Using her hand to brush them out of the way, she glanced concernedly at Chat Noir and the students as she spoke. 

"We'll get you inside, don't worry. There's always a way in," she answered, trying to be positive. Fixing her gaze back to her friend, she asked, "Is there anyone else that went to go check for another building? Someone that's lost?"

Alya shook her head, frowning. "Not that we know of."

Chat pushed on the door, giving it as vicious as a shove as he could muster. A sound that resembled a growl escaped from his throat, and his green eyes flashed with annoyance. Turning towards Ladybug, he huffed.

"I think I know what I have to do, but all of you have to get inside very quick when I do it, alright?" The black-clothed hero asked, addressing the whole group. Ladybug turned towards him with a knowing glance.

_That's risky,_ she thought to herself. Not wanting to say the words aloud and frighten the group, she just gave him a small nod that he could barely register through the pounding storm.

"Go for it," she concluded, shuffling her feet on the cracking pavement.

Pulling his hand back, Chat Noir summoned his energy into his power. Darkness emanated from his hand as he slammed it against the door handle, transferring the energy over to destroy what was keeping the students from getting inside - the lock.

"Cataclysm!" He yelled, slashing at the door one more time for good measure as it fluttered to the sky, resembling ash. The students watched with hope as the black shadows that had once been the lock and handle twirling towards the sky.

Ladybug stepped past Alya and ran towards the door, skidding to a stop and reaching past Chat Noir to fling it open. One of the hinges was obviously broken, and the door skidded at an angle, nearly hitting Chloe. Already in the middle of complaining, the girl jumped out of the way, fury blazing in her expression.

Her voice was high and loud, as if she wanted all of Paris to hear what she had to say. "My father will be scouring the whole of France for me!" She whined. "I'll thank you all who dragged me along to this dumb place. We're all going to freeze to death!"

"I know, think of the mourning," grumbled Alya under her breath. Turning with a pointed look towards Chloe, she narrowed her eyes. "And you chose to come with us," she retorted.

Chloe was speechless, and with her mouth wide open for a few seconds, she crossed her arms and turned her back to everyone. Rose looked at her with what appeared to be sympathy, but Ladybug ignored her altogether.

The young hero waved everyone into the building, as did Chat. Nino went in first, clutching tightly to his cap to stay as dry as possible. Once Chloe noticed that everyone was going in, she shoved herself past a shocked looking Juleka. Heaving a deep breath, she pushed her way past the angled door, Rose following quietly behind.

As another wave of thunder yowled over the city, wind threatened to knock Ladybug off of her feet. Once the last student was in, she used her hand to shield her eyes once again. For a few seconds, she looked thoughtful, but as the door swung shut she suddenly turned to Chat Noir with a horrified look.

He furrowed his brow, stepping closer to hear her. His ring beeped, but he barely heard it. "What's wrong, m'lady?" He asked with concern weaved in the undertones of his voice.

Ladybug shook her head in disbelief. "One of the students - Adrien - isn't with them!" She fretted, her eyes widening. "He lives far away enough that he has to drive to his house! He couldn't of walked there, not with the weather like this. He's probably lost!"

Chat Noir suddenly looked taken aback, and his shoulders tensed for an unknown reason. Frowning, he scrambled for any excuse he could come up with to explain where Adrien was. 

"Oh, uhm, I saw him walking with this group. He mustn't be far behind. He'll probably catch up in no time."

"But we need to make sure. I can't lose him. I mean-" Ladybug suddenly looked flustered, but her face was luckily already red and battered from the tempest. "I mean, we can't lose another student. It's our duty to protect everyone."

Biting his lip in confusion, Chat Noir just nodded. Raising his hand to look at his ring, he heard another beep and squinted to make out the number of pawpads still left. Two. It beeped again, warning him that his transformation was coming sooner then he wanted it to.

Or was it a lifesaver?

Ladybug sighed with exasperation as she heard his ring slowly tick away, but her voice turned to urgency as she spoke. "Chat, you have to go. I'll wait for him here. It's fine.... Your family is probably waiting for you."

_No they aren't,_ Chat Noir thought to himself with a profound sadness. Hiding his true emotion, he narrowed his eyes at his partner. "And your's isn't?"

Ladybug leaned over and shoved Chat Noir playfully around the corner of the building, not willing to risk his identity being revealed because the love of her life had suddenly disappeared in the middle of a thunderstorm. "Leave, chaton!"

Chat Noir stumbled over the pavement, but regained his balance. Sighing, he made his way down the edge of the building, until he was absolutely sure that he was out of Ladybug's sight and hearing range. Just as lightning cracked overhead, he hid himself in the shadows of the awning, green light enveloping his figure. As his transformation faded away, he cupped his hands to catch his Kwami who reappeared out of the energy.

Plagg looked exhausted, his large eyes unusually dull. Nearly motionless, he looked up at Adrien, drained and frail now that his energy had been used up by his holder.

Wincing, Adrien reached into the pocket of his jacket, pulling out a small piece of Camembert he always kept for emergency situations such as this. He placed it in his palm, near Plagg, who forced himself to sit up. Something sparkled in his gaze when the food was placed next to him, which he began devouring, faster and faster as newfound energy pumped through him. He mumbled something to Adrien, but it couldn't be heard over the storm.

Sighing, Adrien looked around to make sure there was no one that could see or hear him.

"Eat up, Plagg," he advised. "We're not going to be transforming anytime soon - at least I hope. It's Adrien's turn, but I want you to be ready just in case." Before placing Plagg back in his jacket, he saw that only a few crumbs of the cheese remained and he shook his head in his usual disgust.

His Kwami nodded eagerly. "Fine, fine, I know. Just keep more of that on hand, would you?"

Smiling tiredly, Adrien placed Plagg into the inside of his jacket as if he were renouncing him. He dusted his hands off on his jeans before turning back to the corner. Ready to summon his acting skills, he put on the best confused face he could muster and ran around the corner, faking being out of breath. Sure enough, just as his footsteps could be heard turning around the building, Ladybug jumped up in relief.

The girl seemed pleased with herself as she shoved the door open, feeling like she had sufficiently filled her role of protecting everyone in the city - especially Adrien. Acting in her superhero person, she shoved away her attraction for him and forced a determined look onto herself.

"Me and Chat Noir were convinced you were lost," Ladybug explained, nodding towards him, knowing she probably looked like a deranged mess. "But now, I'm sure everyone is safe. I'm sure everyone's families will be alerted that they are just sheltering here, so there's no reason to worry. The storm should be over in an hour or so, so everyone can get home safely then." Her brow furrowed, concerned as she saw that Adrien was grasping onto the door frame, heaving for breath. 

"Are you alright?" She questioned, distress evident in her voice.

Feeling bad for acting, Adrien forced himself to stand up straight, but he still gasped for air every few seconds. "Yeah... I'm fine. Thank you so much, Ladybug!" He graciously replied. Forcing a smile, he glanced towards her one last time before walking into the building, ready to search for his friends who had already begun searching the building for the best place to shelter.

Hearing Chloe wailing from one of the hallways, Ladybug knew Adrien wouldn't have a hard time finding everyone. Huffing under her breath, she made sure the door shut fully before racing around the edge of the building. Skidding to a stop just as she was sure she was far enough from the door not to be heard, she leaned against the brick side of the mall and slid down until she was sitting on the soaking pavement. She was so covered in rain water, it didn't even seem to affect her anymore.

Looking towards the darkening sky, she closed her eyes in exhaustion.

"Tikki, de-transform me," she murmured quietly. As pink light surrounded her, she felt some of her energy flood out of her body and go back into her Kwami, who fell into her hands, instinctively already cupped to catch her. As usual, Marinette's purse once again appeared by her side as she became a civillian.

Looking more tired then usual, Tikki sat up in Marinette's hands, her antenna drooping. Her voice was quiet, and Marinette had to hold her close to her face just to make out what words she was saying.

"That was a brave thing you did, saving all those students," praised Tikki, looking like she was going to fall over at any minute. Before she could say anything else, Marinette just nodded, setting Tikki down in her lap so she could rummage through her purse.

Marinette pulled out a small cookie she had taken from behind the counter at her family's bakery and handed it to her Kwami, who took it gratefully and began eating. 

"I'm sorry I tired you out, Tikki. I didn't mean to overdo myself," apologized Marinette, affectionately watching Tikki build her energy back up. Forcing a smile, she turned towards the corner a few yards away where she knew the entrance would be waiting for her.

Swallowing the last bite of her cookie, Tikki managed to fly up into the air, hovering there with a shocked look on her face. "You're not going with them, are you? What about your family?"

"They won't be too worried," Marinette assured her. The raven haired girl went to fumble with the latch on her purse when she noticed something strange on the ground. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she peered at the crumbling sidewalk with a confused glance.

She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Why is there Camembert on the sidewalk? Who would just bring expensive food with them in the middle of a thunderstorm?" 

Tikki's eyes widened, a knowing look behind them. Shielding her expression from Marinette, she nuzzled her on the shoulder quickly before fluttering down towards her purse, leaving a few cookie crumbs inevitably behind in Marinette's hand.

"I'm sure it's nothing," she said positively. 

Marinette watched as her Kwami slid into her purse, and then made sure to tightly latch it shut so that no one would see her. Sighing to herself, the girl stood up, not happy that the rain dripped off of her in waves. Looking towards the sky one last time as she walked towards the entrance, a thought crossed her mind that she couldn't help but let linger. Lightning flashed in front of her as she pondered.

_Oh, Chat Noir,_ she mused to herself. You really are like a cat. You're here one second, and then you're not. More thoughts entered as her mind wandered, and before she knew it, she was already reaching for the handle of the door half-mindedly as she thought.

"I sure hope you live close, kitty," she mumbled to herself under her breath as she swung the door open. "Because I know you don't like the rain."

_But I like the rain,_ her mind suddenly shot back at her.

_And why?_

_Because it always will make me think of Adrien Agreste._


End file.
